Interactive Brokers vs Tickmill (2026): regulation, platforms and costs compared
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Data refreshed 25 Aug 2026 · Compiled by David Ispiryan
Interactive Brokers is a well-regarded forex broker providing broad access to currency pairs, advanced trading platforms, and research and risk management tools. It supports multi-asset trading and a wide range of order…
Tickmill is a well-regarded forex and CFD broker that provides broad market access, platform choice, and tools for analysis, education, and risk management. It offers account options and support suited to a…
Interactive Brokers (United States, founded 1977) holds 15 regulatory licences (ASIC, CBI, CFTC, CIRO, CSSF…), 10 of them tier-1, offers Proprietary and sits in our low-fee bracket. Tickmill (United Kingdom, founded 2014) holds 5 regulatory licences (CySEC, FCA, FSCA, Labuan FSA, Seychelles FSA), 1 of them tier-1, offers MT4, MT5 and sits in our low-fee bracket. The two overlap in 214 countries; Interactive Brokers is available in 4 countries where Tickmill is not, and Tickmill in 14 where Interactive Brokers is not.
Verdict at a glance
Interactive Brokers leads on editorial rating, trust rank, track record, regulatory coverage and tier-1 licences.
Tickmill leads on platform choice and country coverage.
Level on instrument range and fee level.
Scored on 9 measurable dimensions where both brokers have verified data. Dimensions missing for either side are excluded rather than guessed. This is a data summary, not a recommendation.
Interactive Brokers vs Tickmill: side-by-side data
Copy Trading, Professional Trading, Retail Trading
Highlighted cells mark the stronger value where a direction is objectively better (e.g. more licences, lower fees). "Not verified" means the field is not yet in our catalogue for that broker — we never fill gaps with estimates.
Pros
Interactive Brokers
Transparent commission-based FX pricing with tight spreads
Aggregated multi-bank liquidity (IDEALPRO)
Professional platforms (TWS) and institutional APIs (FIX/REST)
Advanced risk management with real-time margin analytics
Universal multi-asset account for FX hedging and settlement
Tickmill
Tight spreads and low commissions
Fast NDD execution, low latency
FCA & CySEC regulation
MT4 and MT5 platforms
High leverage up to 1:500
Cons
Interactive Brokers
No MT4/MT5 support
Steep learning curve
Commission-based FX pricing
25k IDEALPRO minimum order size
Limited funding methods
Tickmill
CFD-only; no real share or ETF investing
No guaranteed stop-loss orders (GSLOs)
Protections vary by entity; offshore regulation for many clients
No proprietary platform; MetaTrader-focused
Limited in-house research and education tools
Key features
Interactive Brokers
Agency model with direct market access to multiple liquidity providers
Spot forex and forex CFDs across major and minor pairs
Trader Workstation FXTrader with advanced order types and depth of market
Smart order routing and transparent interbank pricing with commissions
FIX and REST API support for algorithmic forex trading
Two factor authentication IB Key and top tier global regulation
Tickmill
Multi jurisdiction regulation FCA CySEC FSCA and FSA Seychelles
ECN no dealing desk execution with raw spreads and low commissions
MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5 with VPS and FIX API
Multi asset CFDs Forex Indices Commodities Bonds and Cryptocurrencies
Negative balance protection and segregated client funds
Scalping hedging algorithmic and copy trading supported
Country availability: Interactive Brokers vs Tickmill
Available at both (214): Albania, Algeria, American Samoa, Andorra, Angola, Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Aruba, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bermuda, Bhutan, Bolivia, Bonaire, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Cabo Verde, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Cayman Islands, Chad, Chile, China, Christmas Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands and 174 more.
Only Interactive Brokers (4): India, Japan, Singapore, United States of America.
Only Tickmill (14): Afghanistan, Burundi, Central African Republic, Congo, Iraq, Libya, Nauru, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan, Venezuela, Yemen, Zimbabwe.
Which has lower fees, Interactive Brokers or Tickmill?
Both sit in the same fee bracket (low) in our catalogue; compare the spreads and commission rows above for detail.
Which is older, Interactive Brokers or Tickmill?
Interactive Brokers is the older of the two, founded in 1977; Tickmill was founded in 2014.
Are Interactive Brokers and Tickmill available in the same countries?
They overlap in 214 countries. Interactive Brokers is additionally available in 4 countries (India, Japan, Singapore, United States of America) and Tickmill in 14 countries (Afghanistan, Burundi, Central African Republic, Congo, Iraq, Libya and 8 more).
Risk warning: CFDs and forex are complex, leveraged instruments and carry a high risk of losing money rapidly. A majority of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs. Nothing on this page is financial advice; verify licence status on the regulator's register before depositing. Full risk disclosure.